海角视频

The chief executive of Liverpool Council has had his say on the debate over Liverpool waterfront鈥檚 UNESCO World Heritage Status and the Bramley-Moore Dock stadium plans.

Tony Reeves said he is confident the council and its partners - including landowner Peel L&P - are 鈥渟triking the right balance鈥� over the plans to build Everton鈥檚 new stadium, adding that they take heritage 鈥渞eally, really seriously鈥�.

Mr Reeves was speaking at MIPIM 海角视频 property summit in London on Monday, at an event entitled 鈥楩uture Cities: A transforming waterfront for the Liverpool City Region鈥�.

At the event, he said the Liverpool waterfront was 鈥渋ncredibly important from a heritage point of view鈥�, and that the city has demonstrated 鈥渕any times over recent years鈥� its commitment to heritage.

He explained: 鈥淲e need to balance heritage with the need for inclusive growth and regeneration to transform outcomes for people in Liverpool.

鈥淪ometimes, there鈥檚 a trade off. The job of planning is to strike that balance and work through those issues, working with partners like Peel.聽

鈥淚t isn鈥檛 about waiting for the application to come in and then taking a view. It鈥檚 about developing a dialogue all the way through the process. It鈥檚 no secret Liverpool is on the 鈥榓t risk鈥� list of World Heritage status.鈥�

It comes after Unesco last year gave the whole of Liverpool until February 2020 to address its 鈥渟erious concerns鈥� as the city risked losing the World Heritage Status it gained in 2004.

The body raised concerns the new stadium could threaten the 鈥渁uthenticity and integrity鈥� of Liverpool鈥檚 waterfront, with Liverpool having also been added to a list of sites at risk in 2012 after concerns of the impact of tall buildings at Peel鈥檚 Liverpool Waters site.

But the Blues are making various arrangements to deal with the heritage of the Bramley-Moore dock area, which were .

Mr Reeves added: 鈥淲e absolutely love having World Heritage status, but that doesn鈥檛 define our heritage in its own right.

鈥淭he need for regeneration in that part of Liverpool and the catalyst and quality of work give us real confidence that we are striking the right balance, and I would use the Everton stadium as an example of that.鈥澛�

He added: 鈥淚t鈥檚 really important we have a good relationship with Historic England - as we do.

鈥淲e absolutely understand and appreciate that they are going to look at things purely through the heritage lens - because that鈥檚 their job, hence their title.

鈥淚t's about us being a confident city, but being absolutely clear we will take account of all views of different stakeholders to work out what's right for Liverpool and we have absolutely got the confidence to do that.鈥�

Landowner Peel L&P鈥檚 development director Darran Lawless was also on the panel at the event, and he told the gathered audience his firm 鈥渉as always realised we are custodians of the site鈥�.

He added: 鈥淲e want to leave a lasting impression on people鈥檚 lives for generations to come."

Describing the dilemma between heritage and planning as a 鈥渄ifficult balancing act鈥�, he continued: 鈥滻f you say there is no development acceptable then we are all out of a job and opportunity to invest into areas that have not seen anything like that in years.鈥�

He said it could be overcome by 鈥渉aving a very clear plan from the beginning鈥� - but 鈥渂eing prepared to engage with lots of different consultees all the way from Unesco to the man on the street鈥�.

Mr Lawless added: 鈥淸It鈥檚 about] making the best of what you鈥檝e got, and trying to find the happy medium between the two. Sometimes it鈥檚 possible, sometimes there are fundamental differences in opinion.

鈥淲hat we鈥檝e tried to do is find solutions that keep everyone happy.

鈥淭he council has been very helpful in encouraging us to accommodate all interests, it鈥檚 about working in partnership and being prepared to change plans if necessary.鈥�